Highly Active Photoreduction of Atmospheric-Concentration CO2 into CH3COOH over Palladium Particles on Nb2O5 Nanosheets.

The endeavor to drive CO2 photoreduction towards the synthesis of C2 products is largely thwarted by the colossal energy hurdle inherent in C-C coupling. Herein, we load active metal particles on metal oxide nanosheets to build the dual metal pair sites for steering C-C coupling to form C2 products. Taking Pd particles anchored on the Nb2O5 nanosheets as an example, the high-angle annular dark-field image and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrate the presence of Pd-Nb metal pair sites on the Pd-Nb2O5 nanosheets. Density functional theory calculations reveal these sites exhibit a low reaction energy barrier of only 1.02 eV for C-C coupling, implying that the introduction of Pd particles effectively tailors the reaction step to form C2 products. Therefore, the Pd-Nb2O5 nanosheets achieve a CH3COOH evolution rate of 13.5 µmol g-1 h-1 in photoreduction of atmospheric-concentration CO2, outshining all other single photocatalysts reported to date under analogous conditions.

Antimicrobial Peptide Hydrogel with pH-Responsive and Controllable Drug Release Properties for the Efficient Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Helicobacter pylori is the primary cause of gastric adenocarcinoma, which afflicts more than half of the world's population and seriously affects human health. However, achieving efficient treatment of H. pylori infection by effective drug delivery and bioavailability after oral administration remains a challenge due to the harsh microenvironment, short drug retention time, and physiological barriers in the stomach. Moreover, H. pylori has shown resistance to many clinical antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit substantial therapeutic efficacy against H. pylori, while they are not likely to induce drug resistance, suggesting their potential utility for the treatment of diseases related to H. pylori. In this paper, we report the design and synthesis of an AMP (GE33) hydrogel with pH-responsive and controlled peptide release properties, in which the minimal inhibitory concentration of the AMP against H. pylori is as low as 1 µg/mL. GE33 self-assembles into a stable peptide hydrogel under neutral pH conditions but decomposes into monomers or oligomers under acidic conditions. Upon oral administration of the hydrogel, the acidic gastric environment would facilitate rapid release of active AMP molecules from the hydrogel and immediate targeting of H. pylori in the stomach wall. Additionally, the remaining peptide is protected in the hydrogel, extending its retention time in the stomach, so that persistent drug release is achieved. The controlled and sustained release manner of the active molecule GE33, which enhances drug bioavailability, along with its excellent bactericidal efficacy opens a great potential for treating H. pylori infection.

Regulated Photocatalytic CO2-to-CH3OH Pathway by Synergetic Dual Active Sites of Interlayer.

Herein, composites of nanosheets with van der Waals contacts are employed to disclose how the interlayer-microenvironment affects the product selectivity of carbon dioxide (CO2) photoreduction. The concept of composites of nanosheets with dual active sites is introduced to manipulate the bonding configuration and promote the thermodynamic formation of methanol (CH3OH). As a prototype, the CoNi2S4-In2O3 composites of nanosheets are prepared, in which high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra, and zeta potential tests confirm the presence of van der Waals contacts rather than chemical bonding between the In2O3 nanosheets and the CoNi2S4 nanosheets within the composite. The fabricated CoNi2S4-In2O3 composites of nanosheets exhibit the detection of the key intermediate *CH3O during CO2 photoreduction through in situ Fourier transform infrared spectra, while the In2O3 nanosheets and CoNi2S4 nanosheets alone do not show this capability, further verified by the density functional theory calculations. Accordingly, the CoNi2S4-In2O3 composites of nanosheets show the ability to produce CH3OH, whereas the CoNi2S4 and In2O3 nanosheets solely generate carbon monoxide products from CO2 photoreduction.

Alteration in temporal-cerebellar effective connectivity can effectively distinguish stable and progressive mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Stable mild cognitive impairment (sMCI) and progressive mild cognitive impairment (pMCI) represent two distinct subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Early and effective diagnosis and accurate differentiation between sMCI and pMCI are crucial for administering targeted early intervention and preventing cognitive decline. This study investigated the intrinsic dysconnectivity patterns in sMCI and pMCI based on degree centrality (DC) and effective connectivity (EC) analyses, with the goal of uncovering shared and distinct neuroimaging mechanisms between subtypes. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging combined with DC analysis was used to explore the functional connectivity density in 42 patients with sMCI, 31 patients with pMCI, and 82 healthy control (HC) participants. Granger causality analysis was used to assess changes in EC based on the significant clusters found in DC. Furthermore, correlation analysis was conducted to examine the associations between altered DC/EC values and cognitive function. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the accuracy of abnormal DC and EC values in distinguishing sMCI from pMCI. Results: Compared with the HC group, both pMCI and sMCI groups exhibited increased DC in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), left posterior cerebellum lobe (CPL), and right cerebellum anterior lobe (CAL), along with decreased DC in the left medial frontal gyrus. Moreover, the sMCI group displayed reduced EC from the right CAL to bilateral CPL, left superior temporal gyrus, and bilateral caudate compared with HC. pMCI demonstrated elevated EC from the right CAL to left ITG, which was linked to episodic memory and executive function. Notably, the EC from the right CAL to the right ITG effectively distinguished sMCI from pMCI, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.5806, 0.9512, and 0.828, respectively. Conclusion: This study uncovered shared and distinct alterations in DC and EC between sMCI and pMCI, highlighting their involvement in cognitive function. Of particular significance are the unidirectional EC disruptions from the cerebellum to the temporal lobe, which serve as a discriminating factor between sMCI and pMCI and provide a new perspective for understanding the temporal-cerebellum. These findings offer novel insights into the neural circuit mechanisms involving the temporal-cerebellum connection in MCI.

Preemptive multimodal analgesia for gynecologic oncology patients undergoing laparotomy: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Gynecologic oncology laparotomy leads to severe postoperative pain. We aimed to evaluate the effects of preemptive multimodal analgesic regimen on postoperative opioid consumption for patients undergoing gynecologic oncology laparotomy. Methods: In this prospective, randomized clinical trial, 80 female patients scheduled for gynecologic oncology laparotomy were randomized to receive preemptive multimodal analgesia consisted of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, acetaminophen and intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) (Study group) or conventional analgesia with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors and morphine PCA (Control group). The primary outcome was morphine consumption in the first 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes were pain scores, nausea, vomiting, time to ambulation and flatus, length of hospital stay, satisfaction score, the 40-item Quality of Recovery score (QoR-40) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scale. Results: Morphine consumption in the first 24 h was 6 (3-9.8) mg in the Study group and 7 (3.5-12.5) mg in the Control group (p = 0.222). The Study group showed lower morphine consumption up to 6 h, lower pain scores up to 48 h, and earlier time to ambulation and flatus. The global QoR-40 score at 48 h [182 (173-195) vs. 173.5 (154-185.5), p = 0.024], subdimension scores of physical dependence at 24 h, physical comfort and pain at 48 h were significantly improved in the Study group. Conclusion: Preemptive multimodal analgesia was not superior to conventional analgesia in reducing 24 h morphine consumption; however, it showed a significantly improved pain control and early quality of recovery thus can be recommended for gynecologic oncology patients undergoing laparotomy.

Insomnia-related brain functional correlates in first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder revealed by resting-state fMRI.

Introduction: Insomnia is a common comorbidity symptom in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. Abnormal brain activities have been observed in both MDD and insomnia patients, however, the central pathological mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of insomnia in MDD patients are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the differences of spontaneous brain activity between MDD patients with and without insomnia, as well as patients with different level of insomnia. Methods: A total of 88 first-episode drug-naïve MDD patients including 44 with insomnia (22 with high insomnia and 22 with low insomnia) and 44 without insomnia, as well as 44 healthy controls (HC), were enrolled in this study. The level of depression and insomnia were evaluated by HAMD-17, adjusted HAMD-17 and its sleep disturbance subscale in all subjects. Resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from all participants and then were preprocessed by the software of DPASF. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) values of brain regions were calculated by the software of REST and were compared. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to determine the values of abnormal brain regions for identifying MDD patients with insomnia and evaluating the severity of insomnia. Results: Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences in ReHo values in the left middle frontal gyrus, left pallidum, right superior frontal gyrus, right medial superior frontal gyrus and right rectus gyrus among three groups. Compared with HC, MDD patients with insomnia showed increased ReHo values in the medial superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, triangular inferior frontal gyrus, calcarine fissure and right medial superior frontal gyrus, medial orbital superior frontal gyrus, as well as decreased ReHo values in the left middle occipital gyrus, pallidum and right superior temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, middle cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, putamen. MDD patients without insomnia demonstrated increased ReHo values in the left middle frontal gyrus, orbital middle frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus and right triangular inferior frontal gyrus, as well as decreased ReHo values in the left rectus gyrus, postcentral gyrus and right rectus gyrus, fusiform gyrus, pallidum. In addition, MDD patients with insomnia had decreased ReHo values in the left insula when compared to those without insomnia. Moreover, MDD patients with high insomnia exhibited increased ReHo values in the right middle temporal gyrus, and decreased ReHo values in the left orbital superior frontal gyrus, lingual gyrus, right inferior parietal gyrus and postcentral gyrus compared to those with low insomnia. ROC analysis demonstrated that impaired brain region might be helpful for identifying MDD patients with insomnia and evaluating the severity of insomnia. Conclusion: These findings suggested that MDD patients with insomnia had wider abnormalities of brain activities in the prefrontal-limbic circuits including increased activities in the prefrontal cortex, which might be the compensatory mechanism underlying insomnia in MDD. In addition, decreased activity of left insula might be associated with the occurrence of insomnia in MDD patients and decreased activities of the frontal-parietal network might cause more serious insomnia related to MDD.

Association between systemic immune-inflammation index and serum neurofilament light chain: a population-based study from the NHANES (2013-2014).

Background: The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a novel inflammatory marker used to assess the immune-inflammatory status of the human body. The systemic immune inflammation has an interplay and mutual relationship with neurological disorders. Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is widely regarded as a potential biomarker for various neurological diseases. The study aimed to examine the association between SII and sNfL. Methods: This cross-sectional investigation was conducted in a population with complete data on SII and sNfL from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The SII was calculated by dividing the product of platelet count and neutrophil count by the lymphocyte count. Multivariate linear regression models and smooth curves were used to explore the linear connection between SII and sNfL. Sensitivity analyses, interaction tests, and diabetes subgroup smoothing curve fitting were also performed. Results: A total of 2,025 participants were included in our present research. SII showed a significant positive association with the natural logarithm-transformed sNfL (ln-sNfL) in crude model [0.17 (0.07, 0.28)], partially adjusted model [0.13 (0.03, 0.22)], and fully adjusted model [0.12 (0.02, 0.22)]. In all participants, the positive association between SII and ln-sNfL served as a linear relationship, as indicated by a smooth curve. Interaction tests showed that age, gender, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes did not have a significant impact on this positive association (p for interaction >0.05). The subgroup analysis of diabetes was conducted using smooth curve fitting. It was found that compared to the group without diabetes and the group in a pre-diabetic state, the effect was more pronounced in the group with diabetes. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there is a positive association between SII and sNfL. Furthermore, in comparison to individuals without diabetes and those in a pre-diabetic state, the positive association between SII and sNfL was more pronounced in individuals with diabetes. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm the association between SII and sNfL.

Construction of ZnAl LDH-Derived Sulfides with Etching Modification to Trigger Photocatalytic H2 Production and Degradation Oxidation.

Constructing novel functional photocatalysts represents a promising approach to optimize the energy band structure and facilitate the separation of photogenerated carriers. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) exhibit notable advantages in photocatalysis due to the exceptional photoelectrochemical properties and elevated number of active surface atoms. However, an unsuitable band gap and limited carrier migration have inhibited their development in photocatalysis. Herein, we propose a novel in situ topological vulcanization strategy for optimizing the photocatalytic activity of ZnAl LDH-derived sulfides (ZnAlSx). The subsequent etching process via a 1 M NaOH solution was introduced to construct the ZnSx photocatalysts. Then, the crystallinity of the crystals was enhanced by etching to further improve the catalytic activity and stability of ZnSx. The as-synthesized ZnSx shows an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production rate (11.89 mmol/g/h) and tetracycline degradation efficiency (91.94%) under light illumination, and its hydrogen evolution efficiency is approximately 176 and 2 times greater than that of ZnAl LDH and ZnAlSx, respectively. The characterization and density functional theory (DFT) analysis confirmed that the surface electronic properties and energy band structure of ZnAl LDH were significantly optimized after experimental treatment, resulting in enhanced carrier separation and photooxidative reduction capacity. Combining in situ topological vulcanization and etching to realize the functional conversion of ZnAl LDH provides promising insights into the construction of high-performance, low-cost photocatalysts.

Causal relationship between serum metabolites and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible lung disease with unclear pathological mechanisms. In this study, we utilized bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to analyze the relationship between serum metabolites and IPF, and conducted metabolic pathway analysis. Aim: To determine the causal relationship between serum metabolites and IPF using MR analysis. Methods: A two-sample MR analysis was conducted to evaluate the causal relationship between 824 serum metabolites and IPF. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used to estimate the causal relationship between exposure and results. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using MR Egger, weighted median, and maximum likelihood to eliminate pleiotropy. Additionally, metabolic pathway analysis was conducted to identify potential metabolic pathways. Results: We identified 12 serum metabolites (6 risks and 6 protective) associated with IPF from 824 metabolites. Among them, 11 were known and 1 was unknown. 1-Eicosatrienoylglycophorophospholine and 1-myristoylglycophorophospholine were bidirectional MR positive factors, with 1-myristoylglycophorophospholine being a risk factor (1.0013, 1.0097) and 1-eicosatrienoylglycophorine being a protective factor (0.9914, 0.9990). The four lipids (1-linoleoylglycerophoethanolamine*, total cholesterol in large high-density lipoprotein [HDL], cholesterol esters in very large HDL, and phospholipids in very large HDL) and one NA metabolite (degree of unsaturation) were included in the known hazardous metabolites. The known protective metabolites included three types of lipids (carnitine, 1-linoleoylglycerophoethanolamine*, and 1-eicosatrienoylglycerophophophorine), one amino acid (hypoxanthine), and two unknown metabolites (the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids, and the ratio of photoshopids to total lipids ratio in chylomicrons and extremely large very low-density lipoprotein [VLDL]). Moreover, sn-Glycerol 3-phosphate and 1-Acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocline were found to be involved in the pathogenesis of IPF through metabolic pathways such as Glycerolide metabolism and Glycerophospholipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our study identified 6 causal risks and 6 protective serum metabolites associated with IPF. Additionally, 2 metabolites were found to be involved in the pathogenesis of IPF through metabolic pathways, providing a new perspective for further understanding the metabolic pathway and the pathogenesis of IPF.

Small-molecule GSDMD agonism in tumors stimulates antitumor immunity without toxicity.

Gasdermin-mediated inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) can activate protective immunity in immunologically cold tumors. Here, we performed a high-throughput screen for compounds that could activate gasdermin D (GSDMD), which is expressed widely in tumors. We identified 6,7-dichloro-2-methylsulfonyl-3-N-tert-butylaminoquinoxaline (DMB) as a direct and selective GSDMD agonist that activates GSDMD pore formation and pyroptosis without cleaving GSDMD. In mouse tumor models, pulsed and low-level pyroptosis induced by DMB suppresses tumor growth without harming GSDMD-expressing immune cells. Protection is immune-mediated and abrogated in mice lacking lymphocytes. Vaccination with DMB-treated cancer cells protects mice from secondary tumor challenge, indicating that immunogenic cell death is induced. DMB treatment synergizes with anti-PD-1. DMB treatment does not alter circulating proinflammatory cytokine or leukocyte numbers or cause weight loss. Thus, our studies reveal a strategy that relies on a low level of tumor cell pyroptosis to induce antitumor immunity and raise the possibility of exploiting pyroptosis without causing overt toxicity.

Electronic Oxide-Metal Strong Interactions (EOMSI) Localized at CeOx-Ag Interface.

Electronic oxide-metal strong interactions (EOMSI) refer to the electronic oxide-metal interactions (EOMI) between oxide adlayers and underlying metal substrate that is strong enough to stabilize supported oxide adlayers in a low-oxidation state, which individually is not stable under an ambient condition, from high temperature oxidation in air to a certain extent. Herein we report the deposition and electronic structure of CeOx adlayers on capping ligand-free cubic Ag nanocrystals, i.e., CeOx/Ag inverse catalysts. The EOMI occur via the charge transfer from Ag substrate to CeOx adlayers in the CeOx/Ag inverse catalyst, and the EOMSI are observed in the CeOx/Ag inverse catalyst with the average thickness of CeOx adlayers about 0.9 nm to exclusively form Ce2O3 adlayers stable against oxidation at 400 °C. As the thickness of CeOx adlayers increases, ceria adlayers with oxygen vacancies (CeO2-x) emerge and grow in the CeOx/Ag inverse catalysts, and the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio decreases. Catalytic performance of CeOx/Ag inverse catalysts in the CO oxidation reaction is closely linked with the thickness and electronic structure of CeOx adlayers. These results demonstrate that the EOMSI and EOMI in the oxide/metal inverse catalysts are localized at the oxide-metal interface and sensitively vary with the thickness of oxide adlayers, offering a strategy of thickness engineering to tune electronic structures of oxide adlayers in oxide/metal inverse catalysts.

First-principles calculations to investigate the impact of fluorine doping on electrochemical properties of Li-rich Li2MnO3 layered cathode materials.

Li-rich layered oxides are promising candidates for high-capacity Li-ion battery cathode materials. In this study, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the effect of F doping on Li-rich Li2MnO3 layered cathode materials. Our findings reveal that both Li2MnO3 and Li2MnO2.75F0.25 exhibit significant volume changes (greater than 10%) during deep delithiation, which could hinder the cycling of more Li ions from these two materials. For Li2MnO3, it is observed that oxygen ions lose electrons to compensate for charge during the delithiation process, leading to a relatively high voltage plateau. After F doping, oxidation occurs in both the cationic (Mn) and anionic (O) components, resulting in a lower voltage plateau at the beginning of the charge, which can be attributed to the oxidation of Mn3+ to Mn4+. Additionally, F doping can somewhat suppress the release of oxygen in Li2MnO3, improving the stability of anionic oxidation. However, the increase of the activation barriers for Li diffusion can be observed after F doping, due to stronger electrostatic interactions between F- and Li+, which adversely affects the cycling kinetics of Li2MnO2.75F0.25. This study enhances our understanding of the impact of F doping in Li2MnO3 based on theoretical calculations.

The effect of aromatherapy on post-stroke depression: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder affecting about one-third of stroke survivors, significantly hindering recovery and quality of life. PSD also imposes a substantial burden on caregivers and healthcare systems. Aromatherapy has shown promise in alleviating depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of mixed herb aromatherapy in treating PSD. Feasibility outcomes encompass recruitment, intervention adherence, assessment completion and safety assessment. Secondary outcomes include evaluations of depression, anxiety, cognitive function, sleep quality, quality of life, and brain function using EEG and fNIRS. Methods: This single-blind pilot randomized controlled trial will be conducted at the Second Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, enrolling ninety-nine post-stroke patients with PSD. Participants will be randomized into three groups: a Non-Active Control Group receiving standardized rehabilitation therapy, a CBT Group receiving conventional rehabilitation with bi-weekly CBT sessions, and an Aromatherapy Group receiving conventional rehabilitation with daily aromatic inhalation sessions. Interventions will last for four weeks, with efficacy assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and one month post-intervention. Rating scales will be used to measure changes in depression, sleep quality, cognitive function, and quality of life. EEG and fNIRS will specifically be used to measure changes in cerebral cortex activity and their correlations with depression. Feasibility will be evaluated through recruitment, intervention adherence, assessment completion and safety assessment. Discussion: This pilot study highlights the potential of mixed herb aromatherapy inhalation for treating PSD, addressing limitations of CBT by promoting self-management. While demonstrating feasibility through recruitment, adherence, assessment completion and safety assessment, the study also acknowledges limitations such as unequal intervention times, the lack of physical function data. And the use of culturally relevant plant powders may enhance compliance but limits generalizability. Despite these constraints, the study provides valuable preliminary data and insights into the mechanisms of aromatherapy, encouraging further research and development of effective PSD treatments.

[Determination of five veterinary drug residues in milk by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry based on modified chitosan membrane purification].

Milk is an important consumer product with high nutritional value. The presence of veterinary drug residues in milk owing to the indiscriminate use of veterinary drugs may affect consumer health. In the mass spectrometric analysis of trace compounds, chromatographic co-eluting components easily interfere with the mass spectral signals obtained, affecting the accuracy of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Matrix purification is a promising method to reduce the matrix effect. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer with numerous active functional groups such as amino, acetyl, and hydroxyl groups; these groups can adsorb lipids through hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Chitosan also has the advantages of low production cost, stable chemical properties, and convenient modification. Novel chitosan-based materials are promising candidates for lipid purification. In this study, a chitosan membrane was modified with trimethoxyoctadecylsilane (C18-CSM). C18-CSM was prepared through one-step hydrolysis and used as a dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) adsorbent to purify the matrix during milk pretreatment. We combined C18-CSM with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/Exactive Orbitrap MS) to develop an effective method for the extraction and determination of ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, diazepam, and metronidazole in milk. C18-CSM was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and water contact angle testing. The results indicated that the material has a rough surface and uniformly dense cross-section. The water contact angle of C18-CSM was 104°, indicating its good hydrophobicity. The pretreatment conditions (extraction solvent, dosage of NaCl, extraction frequency, and dosage of C18-CSM) that influenced the recoveries of the five veterinary drugs were investigated in detail. The optimal conditions were established as follows: 5% formic acid in acetonitrile, 1 g NaCl, extraction 1 time, 20 mg C18-CSM. Separation was performed on a Hypersil GOLD VANQUISH column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.9 µm). The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile, and was flowed at a rate of 0.3 mL/min. The sample injection volume was 1 µL, and the column temperature was maintained at 25 ℃. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed in positive electrospray ionization mode. To verify the necessity of the purification material, the matrix effect was investigated using the matrix-matched standard curve method. The use of C18-CSM reduced the matrix effects of the five necessity drugs from the range of -22%-8.8% to the range of -13%-3.6%, indicating that C18-CSM is a highly efficient DSPE material. Under optimal conditions, the developed method showed good linearities within the range of 0.5-100 µg/L, with correlation coefficients (r2)≥0.9970. The limits of detection(LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were 0.2 µg/L and 0.5 µg/L, respectively. To assess the accuracy and precision of the method, we prepared milk samples with three spiked levels (low, medium, and high). The recoveries of the five veterinary drugs were ranged from 79.5% to 115%, and the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were 7.0%-13% (n=6) and 1.3%-11% (n=3), respectively. This study provides a simple, accurate, and reliable method for the rapid and simultaneous determination of the five veterinary drug residues in milk.

Protein-peptide binding residue prediction based on protein language models and cross-attention mechanism.

Accurate identifications of protein-peptide binding residues are essential for protein-peptide interactions and advancing drug discovery. To address this problem, extensive research efforts have been made to design more discriminative feature representations. However, extracting these explicit features usually depend on third-party tools, resulting in low computational efficacy and suffering from low predictive performance. In this study, we design an end-to-end deep learning-based method, E2EPep, for protein-peptide binding residue prediction using protein sequence only. E2EPep first employs and fine-tunes two state-of-the-art pre-trained protein language models that can extract two different high-latent feature representations from protein sequences relevant for protein structures and functions. A novel feature fusion module is then designed in E2EPep to fuse and optimize the above two feature representations of binding residues. In addition, we have also design E2EPep+, which integrates E2EPep and PepBCL models, to improve the prediction performance. Experimental results on two independent testing data sets demonstrate that E2EPep and E2EPep + could achieve the average AUC values of 0.846 and 0.842 while achieving an average Matthew's correlation coefficient value that is significantly higher than that of existing most of sequence-based methods and comparable to that of the state-of-the-art structure-based predictors. Detailed data analysis shows that the primary strength of E2EPep lies in the effectiveness of feature representation using cross-attention mechanism to fuse the embeddings generated by two fine-tuned protein language models. The standalone package of E2EPep and E2EPep + can be obtained at https://github.com/ckx259/E2EPep.git for academic use only.

Carbon quantum dots from carbohydrate-rich residue of birch obtained following lignin-first strategy.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were successfully synthesized from carbohydrate-rich residue of birch obtained following the lignin-first strategy. The optical and physicochemical properties of the CQDs were studied, along with their potential for photocatalytic pollutant degradation. By combining solvothermal and chemical oxidation methods, the product yield of CQDs from carbohydrate-rich residue reached 8.1 wt%. Doping nitrogen enhances the graphitization of CQDs and introduces abundant amino groups to the surface, thereby boosted the quantum yield significantly from 8.9 % to 18.7 %-19.3 %. Nitrogen-doped CQDs exhibited efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, reaching 37 % within 60 min, with a kinetic degradation rate of 0.00725 min-1. This study demonstrates that carbohydrate-rich residue obtained from lignin-first strategy are ideal precursors for synthesizing CQD with high mass yield and quantum yield by combining solvothermal treatment and chemical oxidation methods, offering a novel approach for the utilization of whole biomass components following the lignin-first strategy.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside attenuates neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in female Alzheimer's disease mice via modulating gut microbiota metabolism and GPER/CREB/BDNF pathway.

BACKGROUND: Gender is a significant risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), often attributed to the decline of estrogen. The plant estrogen secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, the protective effects and mechanisms of SDG in female AD remain unclear. METHODS: Ten-month-old female APPswe/PSEN1dE9 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice were treated with SDG to assess its potential ameliorative effects on cognitive impairments in a female AD model through a series of behavioral and biochemical experiments. Serum levels of gut microbial metabolites enterodiol (END) and enterolactone (ENL) were quantified using HPLC-MS. Correlation analysis and broad-spectrum antibiotic cocktail (ABx) treatment were employed to demonstrate the involvement of END and ENL in SDG's cognitive improvement effects in female APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, an acute neuroinflammation model was constructed in three-month-old C57BL/6J mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and subjected to i.c.v. injection of G15, an inhibitor of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), to investigate the mediating role of the estrogen receptor GPER in the cognitive benefits conferred by SDG. RESULTS: SDG administration resulted in significant improvements in spatial, recognition, and working memory in female APP/PS1 mice. Neuroprotective effects were observed, including enhanced expression of CREB/BDNF and PSD-95, reduced ß-amyloid (Aß) deposition, and decreased levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10. SDG also altered gut microbiota composition, increasing serum levels of END and ENL. Correlation analysis indicated significant associations between END, ENL, cognitive performance, hippocampal Aß-related protein mRNA expression, and cortical neuroinflammatory cytokine levels. The removal of gut microbiota inhibited END and ENL production and eliminated the neuroprotective effects of SDG. Furthermore, GPER was found to mediate the inhibitory effects of SDG on neuroinflammatory responses. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that SDG promotes the production of gut microbial metabolites END and ENL, which inhibit cerebral ß-amyloid deposition, activate GPER to enhance CREB/BDNF signaling pathways, and suppress neuroinflammatory responses. Consequently, SDG exerts neuroprotective effects and ameliorates cognitive impairments associated with AD in female mice.

Survival predictor in emergency resuscitative thoracotomy for blunt trauma patients: Insights from a Chinese trauma center.

PURPOSE: Emergency resuscitative thoracotomy (ERT) is a final salvage procedure for critically injured trauma patients. Given its low success rate and ambiguous indications, its use in blunt trauma scenarios remains highly debated. Consequently, our study seeks to ascertain the overall survival rate of ERT in blunt trauma patients and determine which patients would benefit most from this procedure. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted for this research. Blunt trauma patients who underwent ERT between January 2020 and December 2023 in our trauma center were selected for analysis, with the endpoint outcome being in-hospital survival, divided into survival and non-survival groups. Inter-group comparisons were conducted using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Student's t-test, or the Mann-Whitney U test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess potential predictors of survival. Then, the efficacy of the predictors was assessed through sensitivity and specificity analysis. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients were included in the study, with 4 survivors (12.12%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a significant association between cardiac tamponade and survival, with an adjusted odds ratio of 33.4 (95% CI: 1.31 - 850, p = 0.034). Additionally, an analysis of sensitivity and specificity, targeting cardiac tamponade as an indicator for survivor identification, showed a sensitivity rate of 75.0% and a specificity rate of 96.6%. CONCLUSION: The survival rate among blunt trauma patients undergoing ERT exceeds traditional expectations, suggesting that select individuals with blunt trauma can significantly benefit from the procedure. Notably, those presenting with cardiac tamponade are identified as the subgroup most likely to derive substantial benefits from ERT.

Reaction Characteristics of Calcination and Decomposition of Phosphogypsum in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed.

A bubbling fluidized bed reactor is designed to investigate the high-temperature calcination and decomposition characteristics of phosphogypsum (PG). The reactor employs electric heating, and a lifting discharge tube is installed in the middle of the air distributor to allow flexible switching between batch and continuous feeding modes. The batch test results show that the solid-phase bed materials with a PG particle size of 0.27-0.55 mm and a coal particle size of 0.55-0.83 mm are found to have uniformly mixed at a PG/coal mass ratio of 5:1 and calcined at a high temperature of 1100 °C for 30 min. PG completely decomposes to yield mainly CaS and a small amount of Ca2(SiO4) as the solid-phase products. For the above-mentioned optimal process parameters, a 120 min thermal-state continuous test is conducted. Feeding and discharging are performed at intervals of 30 min to maintain the stability of the static bed height inside the reactor. The results indicate that the PG decomposition rate is higher than 92% in the batch and continuous tests. However, the continuous decomposition of PG has significant process advantages, such as a higher CaS yield (71.20%) compared to that in the batch mode (64.49%). Furthermore, PG undergoes agglomeration and bonding within the particles when heated, intensifying the formation of a Ca2(SiO4) eutectic.

Anti-inflammatory Lindenane Sesquiterpene Dimers from the Roots of Chloranthus fortunei.

In this study, eight lindenane-type sesquiterpene dimers, including five previously undescribed sesquiterpene dimers (1-5), were isolated from the roots of Chloranthus fortunei, and their structures were elucidated using 1D/2D NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD calculations. Compound 1 presents the second example of a type of novel 8,9-seco lindenane-type sesquiterpene dimer, considered a product of 8/9-diketone oxidation. Compounds 2 and 3 represent the third and fourth examples, respectively, of this kind of C-11 methine dimer. Furthermore, compound 4 was considered as an artifact generated from the radical reaction of a known compound chlojaponilide F (6), which was explained by the density functional theory quantum calculation. All isolates were evaluated for their protective activity against the LPS-induced pulmonary epithelial cell line with compound 7 exhibiting the most potent bioactivity. Further in vitro biological evaluation demonstrated that 7 reduced the production of reactive oxygen species and interleukin-1ß, further regulated by the expression of the NLRP3. These results show that compound 7 exhibits therapeutic potential for lung inflammatory diseases.